CT Among Top States For Coronavirus Vaccine Rollout

CONNECTICUT — Connecticut’s coronavirus vaccine rollout is going smoothly, especially compared to other states that are having logistical issues. The Nutmeg State is sixth nationally and first in the Northeast for vaccine doses administered per capita, according to state health officials.

Nearly 55,000 vaccine doses have been administered in Connecticut as of Wednesday to people in phase 1a, which includes front-line healthcare workers and nursing home residents and staff. All nursing home vaccine clinics are expected to be completed by the end of next week and the state remains on track to complete all phase 1a vaccinations by the end of January, Gov. Ned Lamont said.

“I think we are in a pretty good track right now and a special shout-out to our vaccination advisory board and in particular public health [department],” Lamont said. “Our folks there have been thinking about this long and hard, and it’s making a difference.”

Phase 1b vaccine guidance will come out next week, Lamont said. The state is waiting on guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC recently recommended that phase 1b include people 75 and older, along with front-line essential workers.

Connecticut was ready to hit the ground running as soon as the vaccine arrived, said state Chief Operating Officer Josh Geballe.

“A lot of that has to do with the preparation with the team in the Department of Public Health … working with all of our providers, our hospitals, our local health departments, our federally qualified health centers,” he said.

Still, there will be logistical challenges to overcome as the state expands into larger vaccine rollout phases and a broader part of the population becomes eligible for the vaccine, Geballe said.

Acting Department of Public Health Commissioner Deidre Gifford said CVS and Walgreens have done a good job with the nursing home vaccine rollout. Vaccine deliveries to hospitals have also gone smoothly, she said.

The state’s provider partners have been key to efficiently scheduling vaccine administration, Gifford said.

“Our provider partners in the community have worked really hard to schedule lots of people to get their vaccines in very short order, and they are working seven days a week,” Gifford said. "Nobody wants to see a dose of this vaccine sit on the shelf for long or be wasted.”

More hope on the horizon

The United Kingdom announced it approved the Oxford-AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine. Gifford said she anticipates that the U.S. will approve the vaccine in the early spring.

“That’s going to be a terrific help to our supply chain,” she said.

AstraZeneca projected it will produce 3 billion vaccine doses in 2021. The vaccine doesn’t need to be stored at ultra-cold temperatures. Pfizer announced a deal with the U.S. that will double the country’s allotment of doses in 2021.

“We are excited to see those numbers hopefully start to increase in terms of the allocations coming into Connecticut,” Geballe said.